This sentence circled into their minds as they all looked at each other meaningfully. Tonight was destined to be a restless night—especially for the gossipy madams.
Lucius, who had remained on the terrace, laughed as he heard their murmurs. Then he raised his hand.
On his palm, was the golden hairpin that had just been on her hair.
Mn. If they see this, the rumors will definitely be confirmed.
Lucius glanced at the accessory with an indifferent look. He thought of Deatrice, who would turn away in embarrassment whenever he touched her, even if he just barely grazed her skin.
His heart clenched, but he was also used to this.
For the past six years, the figure of Deatrice in his imagination had always been that of her trying to move away from his reach, as if to avoid touching something so filthy.
“Please, get away from me. An illegitimate child shouldn’t dare to touch me!” She shouted, and those words had forever been ingrained in Lucius’ mind, haunting him in his every waking moment.
It was strange.
It had only happened for a brief moment, and she was mostly a sweet and adorable lover to him back then. But no matter how much time passed, when he thought of her, that scene of her renouncing him always took precedence over all of their loving moments together.
But that didn’t mean that he couldn’t forgive her for saying that.
She was two years younger than him and was still a little immature. He knew best how clumsy she was years ago.
Perhaps it was the combination of the pressure she received from her father, the feeling of betrayal about what had happened to the duke and what he had driven her to, the nervousness—all of those eventually had led her to say those words in a moment of intense emotions.
He couldn’t blame her.
Because he understood her.
But even if he did, what she said had easily ruined everything.
Her words smashed something precious inside him, and he would remember it forever because he would always feel the sharp fractures that remained in his heart.
“Such a funny thing.” He said, looking at the unassuming pin on his hand. Looking at it a little more, he lifted his hand and briskly threw it over the terrace.
The golden pin disappeared in the depths of the night, leaving no trace of it ever having been in his possession.
With no hesitation, Lucius grabbed his jacket and left.